STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The MTA plans to do away with three Staten Island express bus routes, and shakeup the way other express buses run along Hylan Boulevard, as part of a package of service cuts aimed at saving the cash-strapped authority about $77.6 million a year.

To improve efficiency, X1 service will be discontinued during rush hours, and riders will have to switch to the X2, X3, X4, X5, X7 or X8 that overlap its route.

Service will be discontinued on the X6 and X9 routes, which are also redundant. The X1 will continue to run as usual outside of rush hours.

The X16, X18 and X20 routes will be discontinued, as riders can complete their commutes by using other nearby bus routes or take the Staten Island Ferry to downtown Manhattan, which is actually a quicker trip than sitting in Gowanus traffic, MTA officials said during a briefing today in Manhattan.

In addition, the MTA rang the death knell for the S60 which runs up and down Grymes Hill from Clove Road to the campuses of Wagner College and St. John's University, and which has the distinction of having the lowest ridership of any route in the city.

In a bit of a bright spot, weekend service will continue on the S57 route which runs along Willowbrook Road and Bradley Avenue, to provide transportation to staff and visitors at Sea View Hospital Rehabilitation Center and Home, though S54 service along Manor Road will be discontinued on the weekend. About 1,100 weekend customers will be affected, increasing travel time by between 10 and 20 minutes.